According to sources, the Obama administration has been forced to tackle the economic crisis without top lieutenants in place at the U. S. Treasury.

The Washington Post has reported that for more than a year, many of the most senior people have had to walk out of internal meetings at crucial moments, and have been barred from joining in-depth discussions with foreign governments.

The problem is that the appointments of those officials have been blocked by Republican senators. Some of the blocks were not because of the appointees, but discontent with outside factors, such as unrelated legislative battles, the Post said.

Adding further, the Post said that more than 80 administration appointments are in limbo because of the longtime tactic of blocking nominees.

It has also been said by analysts that the holds put on appointees highlight the political system's dysfunction, the Post said. A senator can block a nominee without giving a reason or even revealing the senator's identity. (With Inputs from Agencies)